Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-05-26
Little Kits LoCket.

snapped Miss Prudence Madison, her
dark eyes glooming somber thunders
in the direction of lank country boy
who was mopping his forehead with a
yellow bandanna handkerchief, as he
watered his horse at the stone basin
just outside the osage-orange hedge
that surrounded John Thorndyke's
farm.
Inside the wagon were rows of peach
baskets, full of great, velvety spheres,
glowing beneath a pink mist of net
ting.
"Well?"
This lazy little query was languidly
dropped BY Kate Thorndyke, who had
been sitting with her aunt on the front
porch for the past hour. as her dark
blue, dreamy eyes reluctantly sank from
sunset wonders to this world of actual
tiles.
We'll? It's far from well!' growl-
ed Miss MattiSon. Here these peach
rs have come back from town"
Couldn't help it marm," interpo-
lated the rueful KIN; ght of the bandan-
ma, as he stumped up the piazza steps,
to give an account of himself You
told me to git dollar bushel for
them peaches, and the market was so
full l was only offered scventy-ti five
cents, so in course had to bring em
home ag'n."
''And didn't YOU know that as the
peaches won't keep TIL tomorrow that
it was better to sell for that price
than not at all? Oh! Jeremiah, Jere-
miah! VIII no one ever succeed in beat
ing thimbleful of wit into that red
head ofyours?" quried Miss Prudence,
seemingly of the universe at large, as
she tilted her sharp nose and angular
chin. and searched the blue vault of
heaven desparingly.
The namcsake of the prophet AM
bled rucfully away. his bandanna trail
ing in the DUST and Miss Mattison and
her pretty niece were left alone to
consider the situation.
Net that John Thorndyke, the hand
some young widower who owned
Ihorndyke Farm and used it as n
summer residence, would have cared
Two strawS whether those eight bush
els Of rcd-gOld peaches were wasted or
not; Duthis aunt and sister, who had
pcen lett III the head of affairs when
he had been called away TO st Louis on
business right Ill the midst of peach
harvest, had Determined to conduct
affairs so wisely rs to come off with
flying collors, and to be parpetual
demonstration of the thrift and capa-
bility of wOmankind to soothing man
kind, rs embodied in John.
If John found out about this. how
he would tease us,' unused Kate,
We must do something" declared
Miss Prudence, desperately. I'D go
back to town with the peaches myself,
but it is really too late" she sighed, as
she noted that the Sunset was fading
into twilight, and the intermittent
lamps of the firefles were already
flashing along the waxen-dark hedge.
have itr' exclaimed Kate, sudden
ly, clappping her pink palms, as a
brilliant idea solved the vexed question.
"We'll can them and sell them at the
Grange store"
That we WILL" asSented Miss Pru-
dence, nodding so vigorously that her
short black curls stood on end, like
Queen Dido's in the old nursery game.
'We'll do finely, if everyone helps
you and l, and Sue, Mary and Jere-
miah."
ME. too!' piped small, sweet, I'M
expected voice; and Baby Kit,a golden
haired morsel, of five years, rolled from
the little pink hammock where she
had been taking her afternoon nap,
and came forward to demand her right
tul share in the domestic excitement
So she was provided with kitchen
knife, which had outlvcd its best days,
with which she hacked Intellectually |
away at the rosy peaches, during in
tervals of lowering over bubbling
kettles, until her white eyelids began to
droop, and she was borne AWAY from
the busy scene.
Miss Prudence had her subordinates
in excellent training; so. although Jerc-
miah, heaving long sigh that would
have done credit to the weeping prophet
himself, when his boon companion
whstled in vain for him by the Usage
orange hedge, and Sue and Mary ex.
changed rueful chances, as they remem.
bered how every one else was eating
peaches and cream at the social of the
Daughters of Temperance" over in
the round-topped school-house, no one
uttered word of complaint, while they
worked steadily away through the long,
scented summer night
The glow of dawn was just creeping
over the pearly sky and the sleepy
young birds were beginning to clipper,
when the last t;n-can was sealed and
marshaled with the long ranks of its
comrades on the white-pine floor.
HAS it paid P" yawned Kate. brush
ing away n clinging. velvet coil of
peach-paring from her checked apron
with stfi fingers
Sue, Mary and Jeremiah, remained
circumspectly non-committal.
'Of course it has !" replied Miss Mat
tison, every short black curl defiantly
triumphant, as she regarded the rows
of peach-cans much as if they formed
an important link in the chain of
woman's progress.
1t was perfect day for nutting ex-
cursion. The purple mist slept on
the distant swells of prairie as softly |
as a bridal veil; the naples. sumachs
and oaks were fairly Irridescent, and |
the ivory hickory-nuts were tumbling
from the husks with every breeze that
blew. much TO the delight Of the news